Sources: Nine laid off from Des Moines Register

The Gannett Blog, an independent journal about Gannett Co., is reporting that Gannett is in the process of laying off what could amount to more than 100 employees. Although there has been no official word from Gannett, which owns The Des Moines Register, numerous sources at Gannett's 81 daily publications have confirmed layoffs.

The Gannett Blog is keeping a running total of the number of employees laid off at each location. Although not official, the current layoff count as of 5:58 p.m. Thursday was 195. The site shows that nine employees have been laid off at the Register, however that number has not been confirmed by Register officials. A Business Record call to the Register was not immediately returned.

Multiple sources, however, have confirmed that five members of the Register's newsroom - four reporters and 1 copy editor - have been laid off.

Gannett's second-quarter profit, which it announced on July 22, fell 5.2% to 113.6 million, or 48 cents a share, from $119.9 million, or 51 cents a share, a year earlier. Publishing revenues for the quarter fell 1.7% as a result of a 5.3% decline in advertising revenues that couldn't offset a circulation revenue increase of 6%.